San Diego Trail Access Under Attack

In the North San Diego County city of Carlsbad, California the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has declared war on mountain bikers by actively enforcing closures of open space that has been used by mountain bikers, horseback riders, and hikers for decades. The battleground is the Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve, or as mountain bikers call it Calavera. Enter the Calavera Trail Coalition

The Calavera Trail Coalition . . . is dedicated to keeping the public informed on the process of getting the Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve updated to allow Muti Use Recreation on approved trails while preserving sensitive habitat for all wildlife on the land. We encourage anyone who agrees with the mindset that public land should be properly managed and open to all to join us in the process. We want to provide all user groups a voice and give full transparency. The loud voice of a small fringe group should not dictate the will of the people.

Without going in to too much detail, we agree with the Calavera Trail Coalition. Land set aside as mitigation for huge developments should be managed, cared for, and above all open to the public to enjoy in a responsible way. Allowing developers to kill off large swaths of open space, and then closing off the mitigating open space is a double hit to those who enjoy spending time in nature especially those who live in and around the continually growing urban sprawl of Southern California. For more info on the situation and how you can help, please visit the Calavera Trail Coalition website by clicking the link.